Letter holder for mail boxes



P 1933- H. HOOVER 1,928,378

LETTER HOLDER FOR MAIL BOXES Filed May 9, 1932 INVENTOR.

BY @Z% A T-TORNEY.

Patented Sept. 26, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to letter holders for mail boxes and the mainobject is to provide a device which may be attached to the lid or doorof a mail box and which will hold outgoing letters in such position whenthe box is opened that they will be readily seen by the mail man and maybe conveniently removed by him.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind in a simple,inexpensive, durable and emcient form.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides inthe novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forthand claimed, reference being had to accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the letter holder mounted on the door of amail box, the door and box being shown in cross section.

Figure 2 is a section'along the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section through the letter holder alone.

Referring now more particularly to the drawr ing my invention comprisesa fixed jaw 1 formed of a substantially U-shaped piece of metalincluding the leg forming said jaw 1, a base 2 and a shorter leg 3parallel with and spaced from said jaw 1. The structure thus formed issecured to a base block 4 by screws 5 passed through the said base 2,the shorter leg 3 being disposed in alignment with one longitudinal edgeof the block 4 as shown. Both the jaw or leg 1 and the leg 3 havemedially located and longitudinally extended 0 slots 6 cut insubstantial alignment with the face of the base 3 and the flat tang '7of a rectangular movable jaw 8 is slidably mounted through these slots.The jaw 8 is bent at right angles to the tang '7 which extends from oneedge of the jaw as shown, whereby said jaw will rest in parallelalignment with the fixed jaw 1. The end of the tang '7 is bent toprovide an offset stop ear or head 9 and an expansion coil spring 10 isplaced over the tang and braced between the leg 3 and the edge of theblock 4 and the ear 9 as shown, the said spring thus acting to normallyhold the movable jaw 8 against the fixed jaw 1.

The device is adapted to be secured to the door A of the usual'mail boxB or in any other suitable location but preferably so that the letterswill be held within the box until the door is opened and will then bepresented in position for their ready removal by the postman. Screws 11may be extended through the door A and into the base block 4 to hold thedevice in place. The flat tang 8 to move away from the fixed jaw 1 andforming a cleft into which a letter or other object as indicated in thedrawing by the dotted lines C may be inserted. Pressure on the tang '7is then released and the spring 10 holds the jaws tightly together onthe letters therein. The postman may readily remove the letters bypressing on the tang as set forth or preferably by simply pulling theletters from the jaws and it will be understood that he may thus easilyand quickly remove the letters even when heavily gloved and withoutremoving his gloves. Further details of the use of the invention will beapparent without additional description and it will be understood thatthe device may also be used for purposes other than holding letters andthe like with equal facility.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of myinvention it is understood that I may vary from the same in minorstructural details so as best to construct a practical device for thepurposes intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention andwithin the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the kind described, a base block, a fixed jaw comprisinga U-shaped member including a leg forming the said fixed jaw, a base,and a shorter leg spaced from the jaw, the said member being secured byits base to the base block with the shorter leg in alignment with oneedge of the base block, thesaid jaw and shorter leg having elongatedslots in alignment with the face of the base of the U-shaped-member, amovable jaw, a flat tang extended at right angles from the jaw andslidably passed through the said slots in the U-shaped member, an earbent from the end of the tang, and an expansion coil spring bracedbetween the said ear and the base block and shorter leg of the U-shapedmember.

LUTHER H. HOOVER.

